Palm Springs, California

This stunningly untouched mid-century city, once a hangout for the Rat Pack in the 1950s and 1960s, has been colonised by some of America's most progressive minds - and, when the nearby Coachella festival is in full swing, the world's cultural elite. But to get a true sense of this region you need to breach the city limits.

Head south to the careworn towns strung along Highway 111. Palm Desert, Desert Shores and Salton City were once home to the psychedelic rock movement that gave us Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss, and laid-back al fresco evenings are still central to the culture of this refreshingly unpretentious pocket of California.

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Once you've explored the record shops (Record Alley just off the 111 is the best and largest in the valley) and thrift stores for Art Deco delights (Bargains Thrift Shop is another hidden Palm Desert gem), head back north to The Spring spa hotel for an afternoon soaking in its naturally warm mineral springs. There are three pools to choose from, each offering mountain views and freshly pressed juices delivered to you while you watch roadrunners skittering around the hills.

Mount Hood, Oregon

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The World’s top five drives

In partnership with Avis

Portland, Oregon

When New York's hippest get bored of bad-mannered traffic jams and $5 coffee they move to Portland, Oregon. And they import the very best of the Big Apple to this pretty town north of California, south of the Canadian frontier. The Pacific Northwest's most vibrant hub relishes in celebrating the four "Cs" of cool: coffee, cycling, craft breweries and (food) carts, but the city's only half of the story.

Portland's framed by breathtakingly wild scenery, overlooked by the snow-capped Mount Hood to the east and Tillamook State Forest to the west. And while Cannon Beach on the coast, Willamette Valley to the south and Timberline Lodge to the east are popular weekend getaways, the city's surrounded by long road trips so you can be far more selective if you're after less crowded destinations.

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Take the 58-mile drive down Route 213 from Oregon City to the south and head towards Silver Falls State Park. When you turn off on to the 214 the road tightens to a series of curls around the Silverton reservoir before opening up into a string of fast sweepers before the forest closes in. Once you arrive you'll find hissing rivers and 10 vast waterfalls hiding in the pines. Best of all, you can fit in a day's exploring and be back in town in time for last orders - of craft beer, street food or both.

Monaco

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Monaco

Pastel pink is its navy blue, yachts are its cars and supercars are its bicycles - Monaco is practically a verb when it comes to extra-luxury living and, in the summertime, you'll struggle to find a more desirable spot on the iconic Riviera.

That's not to say you shouldn't try, though. The three most beautiful roads between Nice and Monaco are collectively called The Three Corniches (short for "route à corniche" or "road on a ledge" and also a storied Bentley nameplate) - Grand Corniche, Basse Corniche and Moyenne Corniche. All three hug the coast at different heights, but some are more popular than others, and you're more likely to get stuck in a (very expensive) jam on Grand and Basse. Moyenne, which is to the west of the city and accessed by the D6007, winds around the Cap Ferrat and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsulas before rolling you into Nice 40 minutes later.

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From here, take the D22048 north to the D2566 and Col de Turini - once a stage of the Monte Carlo rally and widely considered the best road in Europe. Balanced 1607 metres above sea level on the Alpes-Maritimes, it connects the pretty towns of Sospel and La Bollène via 34 hairpin bends, many of which have sheer drop-offs. Pick from Avis' premium range (we recommend the Maserati Ghibli), stretch its legs and watch out for Monégasque supercar owners with something to prove…

Singapore

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Singapore

Singapore feels like it's barrelling into the future at breakneck speed. Whether it's the plant-covered skyscrapers that literally live and breathe or the Technicolor lightshow that illuminates the sparkling streets at night, this island nation of 5.7 million never fails to challenge your understanding of civic possibility.

Start your day with a roti prata breakfast in Little India then escape the heat in one of Avis' air-conditioned, chauffeur-driven limousines as you travel across the city to the temples in Chinatown and Singapore Botanic Gardens before a stroll through Gillman Barracks, Singapore's contemporary art centre.

But don't underestimate the beauty of rural Malaysia. Leave the island via Tuas (the quietest checkpoint) and thread your hire car north on the jungle-lined Highway 5. Stop in Batu Pahat for some traditional pisang goreng (fried banana) in the Jalan Omar food quarter before leaving for Malacca. The colourful town used to be a port hub for European occupiers and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. A night in the lavish Majestic Malacca hotel (and former private mansion) is the perfect antidote to the heat and bustle of Southeast Asia's Lion City.

Trondheim

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Trondheim, Norway

Scandinavian fashion, culture and architecture has become the new European gold standard of cool. And while the big brands may be based in Sweden, Norway follows the same tenets of reduction and celebration of local materials. With its primary-coloured warehouses, still fjords, forest-patched hills and breezy, pedestrianised centre, it's also one of the most photogenic cities in the north.

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The city serves as a gateway to Europe's most gripping highway - the Atlantic Ocean Road (Atlanterhavsveien in Norwegian), three hours west of the city. Balanced above the sea around the islands between Molde and Kristiansund in the western Fjords, this 5.1-mile ribbon of tarmac is elevated by 12 low bridges and offers unfettered views of the beautiful, brutal landscape (and, if you're lucky, the odd whale). It's billed as a continuous experience, but there are designated stopping places where you can hop out, climb a hillock and enjoy unfettered views of the rugged salt-licked islands.

Split the Atlanterhavsveien in two and stop at Håholmen. This small island fishing community has been here since the beginning of the 1700s, and save for the odd wifi hotspot, it doesn't feel like much has changed over the past few hundred years. From here you can hop aboard a daily boat trip and explore the islands scattered off the coastline before getting back in the car and to the warmth of one of Trondheim's White Guide (Scandinavia's equivalent of the Michelin Guide) restaurants. This is a deeply cool road trip in every sense of the word.